Azernews.Az

By Nigar Orujova

The world premiere of the "Cradle to Cosmos" exhibition was held at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku on December 3.

Held by the United States Space and Rocket Center, the exhibition displays the history of space conquests from the earliest days of its development to the accomplishments of the past half century.

Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center Anar Alakbarov thanked President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva for her assistance in organizing the exhibition.

CEO of the United States Space & Rocket Center Deborah Barnhart also thanked the Heydar Aliyev Center for organizing the exhibition.

Barnhart said Azerbaijan would be one of the partners of the U.S Space & Rocket Center in organizing such events.

Chairman of Alabama Space Science Exhibit Commission Roosevelt Lewis, in turn, said the exhibition does not only showcase exhibits that reflect astronautics' past glories.

"It also demonstrates the exhibits, which I believe, will inspire our people to achieve new successes in astronautics," Lewis said.

Azerbaijani Hero of the Soviet Union Musa Manarov also addressed the event.

"Until recently, the Azerbaijani youths saw only the bowels of the earth. Azerbaijani oilmen have been known for their work for many decades. However, now the situation has changed a bit; the first Azerbaijan satellite was launched into space, and I think more young people will now look up to the sky and will be encouraged by this exhibition as well," Manarov said.

More than 100 unique exhibits delve into the history of human endeavors in space. They include spatial stations, original particles delivered from cosmic space and other planets, pieces and models of satellites, aeronaut suits and accessories, and particles of meteorites.

One of the interesting exhibits is a sample brought from the Moon. The sample, found by astronaut David Scott during the American space mission Apollo 15, was transferred from the U.S. to Baku for the exhibition.

Two exhibited meteorites, a Soviet-era space suit, a small-scale replica of "Mir" space station, and Apollo-Soyuz spaceship, ten different simulators, and other exhibits provide an opportunity to become familiar with the field of astronautics.

The event is aimed at promoting information technologies, raising awareness in the field of space studies, and supporting further development and application of ICT in Azerbaijan.

The fascinating exhibition will provide all the visitors with a unique chance to make a virtual trip to the space. Six stimulators installed at the show will create a memorable, although short-lived, impression of a space flight.

Along with some cutting-edge exhibits never displayed before, the exhibition will present Azerbaijan's initial aerospace accomplishments, such as the country's first satellite, related information, and models.

Previous shows by the U.S. Space and Rocket Center all over Europe were attended by more than 1.5 million visitors. Meanwhile, the event In Baku puts some truly outstanding exhibits on display for the first time.

The show will last until February 23, 2014, and then move to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and Milan.

The Cradle to Cosmos exhibition will be held jointly with the Communications and Information Technologies Ministry in the framework of the science and education-oriented projects launched by the Heydar Aliyev Center.

Azerbaijan's space history started by launching its first national telecommunication satellite, Azerspace-1, in February 2013. Launching the second satellite is planned for 2016, which will result in the greater stability of the telecommunication services and expansion of coverage area. A low-orbit satellite will also be launched in 2015.